|
Divine and Deviant Divas Winter Quarter 2003 Professor F. Rony Library Research Guide |
Librarian contact:
| Joan Ariel
History and Women's Studies Librarian 386 Main Library; 824-4970 jariel@uci.edu |
Rob Bell
Film Studies Librarian 150 Main Library, 824-9889 rbell@uci.edu |
Note: As a UCI student, you have full access to the resources below, including from home or other remote computers. Instructions on connecting from home are provided on the UCI Libraries web site.
You may also wish to investigate the resources listed on the following subject pages on the UCI Libraries' website: Film Studies
The guide covers the following areas:
| 1. Sources for Research |
Primary sources are firsthand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. The nature and value of a source cannot be determined without reference to the topic and questions it is meant to answer. The same document, or other piece of evidence, may be a primary source in one investigation and secondary in another. The search for primary sources does not, therefore, automatically include or exclude any format of research materials or type of records, documents, or publications.
Primary sources typically can include archives and manuscript material, photographs, letters and diaries, scrapbooks, newspapers and clippings, government publications, oral histories, magazines, published books, printed ephemera, and video and audio recordings.
Secondary sources are those that analyze, assess, or interpret a topic under investigation, typically utilizing primary sources to do so.
Tertiary sources include bibliographies, indexes, abstracts, encyclopedias, and other reference resources. Tertiary sources help you to identify and locate primary and secondary sources.
IMPORTANT: Note that these categories are not mutually
exclusive.
| 2. Topic Selection and Analysis |
A little advance preparation and analysis of your topic/project will go a long way toward making your research more effective and efficient, thus minimizing the time required and the possible frustrations encountered. Before you begin searching for sources, consider the topic carefully and analyze it in order to focus your search strategy and retrieve useful and manageable results.
The following steps may prove helpful in analyzing your topic and in constructing a useful search strategy. Note: It is often very helpful to make an actual list of these elements.
1. Survey the topic and clarify any unfamiliar terms or concepts.
2. Consider subtopics or component parts of the topic as well as the particular perspective(s) you want to take or argument(s) you will make
3. Diagram your topic: what? who? when? where? even why?
4. Identify types and/or formats of material that are most promising/relevant for your topic:
6. Keep track of what you're doing in research notes/notebook
| 3. Good Research Skills: Search Types and Strategies |
Most searching skills will transfer to multiple tools and resources.
Start with a basic familiarity with the research tool you are using (online catalog, print index, database, internet, etc. )
Search Types and Features:
In doing library-based research, there are three key approaches to identifying information and materials on a subject or topic: known item; keyword; and subject heading. All are based on the "bibliographic record" for the book, article, or other item.
1. Known Item
Search on a known title or author, then use subject headings in the
bibliographic record to expand your retrieval to related items.
2. Keyword
Searches for your key words usually drawn from the following data fields:
3. Subject Heading
Searches for subject heading(s) assigned by the Library of Congress
or descriptors assigned by the index/database producer using a "controlled
vocabulary." The best way to identify subject heading(s) for your
topic is to do a keyword search first, then note and link from subject
headings of the most promising items.
Truncation symbols vary across catalogs and databases; most often * or # are used.
Examples:
5. Combining Search Terms: Using AND between terms will give you a smaller set of retrievals, while using OR will get you more retrievals.
6. Limit Features: Use available limit features in the catalog or database to refine your search results. You can usually limit by language and/or date, often by material/document type, etc. Limiting result sets by dates can be a good approach when you are focusing on primary sources for a narrow time period like the 1930s; however, if you limit to publication date 1930-1940, you will miss primary sources that may be reprinted in later years.
7. Output/Sending Results: Most catalogs and databases allow you to email, print, and/or download your search results. If necessary, use any available help screens/features for instructions.
| 4. Sources for Background and Topic Analysis |
Subject Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and Handbooks (the terms are often used interchangeably) provide background information and can be extremely useful in providing a context for your topic, key terminology, events, dates, people, etc.
Note: This is a selective listing. We have many more titles on various film genres (horror, western, scifi, women's, lesbian/gay, etc.), film biography, film schools, careers, etc.
The A List : The National Society of Film Critics'
100 Essential Films. Jay Carr, ed.
Ref. PN1995 .A33 2002
The American Film Institute Desk Reference.
Ref. PN1994 .A599 2002
Biographical Dictionary of Film. David Thomson.
Ref. PN1998.2 .T49 1994
Cassells Movie Quotations
Ref. PN1994.9 C37 2000
Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts
Ref. PN1993.45 H36 2000
Cinema Year by Year 1894-2001. Robyn Karney,
ed.
Ref. PN1993.5.A1 C56 2001
The Complete Index to World Film Since 1895 [computer
file]. CD-ROM.
MRC PN1998 .C667 1998
Critical Dictionary of Film and Television Theory.
Roberta E. Pearson and Philip Simpson, eds.
Ref. PN1993.45 C75 2001
Encyclopedia of Chinese Film
Ref. PN1993.5 C4 Z53 1998
Encyclopedia of Filmmakers. 2 vols.
John C. Tibbetts and James M. Walsh.
Ref. PN1998.2 .T53 2002
Film: An International Bibliography. Malte
Hagener and Michael Töteberg.
Ref. PN1994 .H26 2002
The Film Encyclopedia. Ephraim Katz.
4th ed.
Ref. PN1993.45 K34 2001.
More than 7,000 entries are mostly the names of film
directors, producers, actors, composers, and other creative personnel.
Film Researcher's Handbook : A Guide to Sources in
North America, South America, Asia, Australasia and Africa. Compiled
by Jenny Morgan
Ref. PN1994 F438 1996
The Film Studies Dictionary. Steve Blandford,
Barry Keith Grant, Jim Hillier.
Ref. PN1993.45 .B53 2001
Halliwell's Film and Video Guide. 1996-
Ref. PN 1993.45 H27
International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers. 4
vols.
Ref. PN1997.8 I58 2000
International Motion Picture Almanac
Ref. PN1993.3 I55 2001
The New Historical Dictionary of the American Film
Industry. Anthony Slide.
Ref. PN1993.5 U6 S539 1998.
The Women's Companion to International Film. Edited
by Annette Kuhn with Susannah Radstone
Ref. PN1993.45 .W6 1994
| 5. Books, Monographs and Other Research Materials: Library Catalogs |
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Although there are many sources for beginning to think about your topic and the various terms that might be used to represent it in indexes, bibliographies, databases, and catalogs, the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) is a good place to start in tracking terms that are useful in your research. LCSH is the basis for subject indexing of resources available in the ANTPAC (UCI) and MELVYL (UC-wide) library catalogs. Subject indexing terms can be a powerful search tool in many online catalogs and indexing databases, and these same subject headings found in records for known items can lead serendipitously to other interesting resources.
A subject heading is a word or term that describes, often quite broadly, the contents of an information resource. "Authorized" headings for U.S. libraries are generally those found in LCSH, a five-volume set with a bright red cover located in the Main Library's Reference Area (1st floor). In addition to usage in catalog records for books, videotapes, and other library resources, many abstracting and indexing databases of articles use LCSH as the basis for their subject indexing.
Reminder: Subject headings, like all language and most everything in life (!), are socially and historically constructed; consider terminology for your topic broadly and deeply, conceptually and historically.
The following is a highly selective list of subject headings that might prove useful in looking for information resources related to Film Studies.
Primary Call Numbers and (Very Selective) Representative Subject Headings
PN 1990 - 1992.92 Broadcasting, Radio and TelevisionAlso remember to consider and use where relevant any proper names related to your topic: film titles, stars, directors, etc.
PN 1993 - 1999 Motion PicturesSelected LC Subject Headings:
Motion pictures Motion pictures -- Influence Motion pictures -- Philosophy Motion pictures -- Social aspects Motion pictures -- United States -- History Motion picture audiences -- Psychological aspects Film criticism Film theory Postmodernism
alsoAfrican Americans in motion pictures Asians in motion pictures Cinematography Documentary films Feminism and motion pictures Film noir Historical films -- History and criticism Impersonation Lesbians in mass media Minorities in motion pictures Motion picture actors and actresses -- United States -- Biography Motion pictures for women Racism in motion pictures Sex role in motion pictures Sexism in motion pictures Stereotype (Psychology) in mass media Women in motion pictures
Reminder note: To identify additional subject headings for your topic, do keyword search the display result(s) in long format, note subject headings for the most promising items, click on subject heading to execute subject search.
| ANTPAC: UCI Libraries Catalog |
ANTPAC provides quick and efficient access to the holdings of the UCI Libraries. ANTPAC should be your first stop for accessing books, periodicals, media, and other research materials.
ANTPAC is available via a Web interface in the UCI Libraries as well as from home or office. You can access ANTPAC via the UCI Libraries homepage (http://www.lib.uci.edu/) or directly (http://antpac.lib.uci.edu/).
ANTPAC offers the following unique features:
| CDL MELVYL® CATALOG: UC Systemwide Catalog |
If your ANTPAC search does not produce the desired results or you want to expand your retrieval of materials, you will want to search the holdings of other libraries, particularly other UC libraries. The California Digital Library (CDL) MELVYL® Catalog opens doors to worlds beyond UCI .
To research a topic, select Subject or Power search. Subject searches require word(s) from authorized LC subject headings. Power searches allow you to combine search types (including title words, subject, or exact subject) and, if desired, to limit your retrieval by library location, date, language, form, and/or date added to the database.
Save: Use the Save feature to create your own topic bibliography within a single database or across several databases. Once you have saved the items for your bibliography, click on Saved Lists to view, print, mail or download. Make sure you give your list a relevant subject, indicating topic and date. You may also want to add an annotation for your list indicating which databases you covered.
Output options: You may mail, print, or download your search results.
Request: You may also request materials identified in a
MELVYL® search through via the Request option (as long as they are
not currently available at UCI). Keep in mind, however, that Document Access
and Delivery /Inter-Library Loan (DA&D) can occasionally be a slow
process, best undertaken at the beginning of your research. The ten-week
quarter makes few allowances for DA&D, although the increased use of
FAX and other electronic delivery systems does at least make acquiring
journal articles from afar faster and easier (though often for a fee).
| WORLDCAT (WCAT) |
Records from the worldwide OCLC Online Union Catalog for books, computer files, audiovisual materials, periodicals, maps, manuscripts, musical scores, etc., in a variety of languages. (Also provides links to other databases of possible interest, e.g., ArticlesFirst, etc.)
*Note: One distinct advantage to this database is that it provides
convenient access at the chapter level to many collections. Search
with relevant keywords in the Notes field.
| 6. Articles: Periodical Indexing and Abstracting Services |
The most convenient direct access to periodical indexes and abstracts is through the UCI Libraries Website: Article Databases. Here you will find an alphabetical listing of all indexes and abstracts available through CDL or licensed directly by the UCI Libraries.
The following is a selective listing of indexes most useful for Film Studies topics.
Note: Pay attention to the type and chronological scope of the
database you are using as you select your search terms.
| Indexes |
Film and Television Studies:
American Film Institute (AFI)
Catalog
To date, the catalog covers all American films made from
1893 to 1970--including those no longer extant. Excellent, in-depth information
about each film, including the ability to search by cast, crew, character
name, subject, genre, etc. However, it only provides references to a limited
number of contemporary publications about each film, usually from the more
popular sources, like newspapers and trade publications.
FIAF International
FilmArchive Database
NOTE: Scroll down and select desired database(s)
then click on Open Selected Databases.
Published by the International Federation of Film
Archives (FIAF), contains several databases:
International
Index to the Performing Arts (IIPA)
Indexes approximately 300 journals related to most aspects
of the arts, including film, dance, and drama; covers many journals that
are not indexed elsewhere. Includes some full-text.
MLA
International Bibliography 1921-
International coverage of materials in the areas of
literature (including film and media), languages, linguistics, and folklore
from over 4,000 journals, series, books, essay collections, working papers,
proceedings, dissertations, and bibliographies.
Multidisciplinary:
Expanded
Academic Index ASAP 1980 - present
Provides multi-disciplinary coverage from arts and the
humanities to social sciences, science and technology; inlcudes scholarly
journals, news magazines, and newspapers - many with full text and images.
PCI: Periodical Contents Index
1770-1995.
An electronic index to the contents of 3,000+ periodicals
in the humanities and social sciences , from their first issues to 1995.
Related Disciplines:
Art Abstracts1984-
Indexes articles in film as well
as art, archaeology, and architecture.
Search tips:
To restrict
search to scholarly: Limit to Peer
Reviewed Journals (check box at bottom of search screen)
To eliminate
book reviews:
Limit Publication Type: not Motion-Picture-Review
Art Index Retrospective
1929-1984
Retrospective index to articles
in film art, archaeology, and architecture.
GenderWatch
1970- present
A full text database of publications that focus on the
impact of gender across a broad spectrum of subject areas.
Sociological
Abstracts. 1963 - present.
Citations for articles from over 2,600 journals, books,
conference papers, and dissertations in the sociology and related disciplines.
Women’s
Resources International (WRI) 1972 - present
Includes over 232,000 records drawn from a variety of
essential women's studies databases including Women Studies Abstracts
(1984- ; approx. 35,000 records) and the Women’s Studies Database (1972-
; approx. 70,300 records drawn from 125 journals worldwide).
Note: For other web databases for disciplines related to
your topic, e.g. Arts, see Article
Databases
| Additional Selected Print Indexes: Especially important to use for retrospective research/coverage |
Magazines and Journals:
International Index to Periodicals. 1907-1965/65 Ref.
AI3 I58
subsequently: Humanities
and Social Sciences Index. 1965/66-1973/74; then separately: Humanities
Index; Social Sciences Index 1973/74-
Index to academic journals in Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences.
Nineteenth Century Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, 1890-1899,
with Supplementary Indexing, 1900-1922.
Ref. AI3 .R496
Standard index to popular periodical literature including general news
and sports magazines.
Readers Guide to Periodical Literature. 1900- present Ref. AI 3 R4
Newspapers:
New York Times Index. 1851- present Ref.
AI21 N4
The full run of the New
York Times is available on microfirm in Current Periodicals Room
| 7. Film Reviews: Indexes and Compendiums |
See also the Movie Review Query Engine: MRQE (claims reviews of over 28,000 titles) or the Internet Movie Database: IMDb (claims information on 250,000 films, including entries on over 900,000 individuals, of which more than 50,000 are directors) on the Web.
Note: Film reviews published in The New York Times and Variety (and other newspapers) are available online in full text through Lexis-Nexis Academic, but only since June 1, 1980, for The Times and April 27, 1992, for Variety. Global NewsBank (1996- ) is another good source for film reviews published in less common domestic newspapers, journals, or international publications, but also tends to work best for more recent films. For older film reviews the print indexes are your best bet (for now).
New York Times Film Reviews Ref. PN1995 .N4
Contains film reviews appearing in the New York Times
reproduced in their entirety. Has three separate indexes: title index,
personal name index, and corporate (studio name) index. Arranged
by date review appeared in the newspaper; important to know the year film
released. For more current cinema, check the CDL/MELVYL® NEWS
database.
Variety Film Reviews Ref. PN1995 .V34
Similar to New York Times Film Reviews. Most recent
volume (24) covers reviews from 1995-1996.
Film Review Annual Ref. PN1995 .F465
Begun in 1984, reprints "important" reviews in their
entirety from such periodicals as Monthly Film Bulletin (until 1991), New
York Times, New York Post, Los Angeles Times, Film Quarterly, Sight and
Sound (which absorbed Monthly Film Bulletin), Variety, Village Voice.
As with any annual print publication, there is a lag time between theatrical
release of a film and the appearance of the reviews in this source. The
latest issue, 1997, covers films released the previous year.
Magill's Cinema Annual: A Survey of Films Ref. PN1993.3
.M34
Continues the four-part Magill's Survey of Cinema (PN1993.3
.M3/PN1993.3 .M32). Films are listed alphabetically. It contains
"essay-length" reviews of "significant" films. Comparable to a Masterplots
(or very sophisticated Cliff Notes), but with the advantage of providing
fairly lengthy reviews and a list of additional reviews, generally from
the popular press.
| 8. Specialized Internet Resources |
Although the Internet provides access to information resources that are often of dubious quality or authority, there are a growing number of sites worth visiting for research purposes in Film Studies.
Google (http://www.google.com/), if you haven't used it, is an excellent internet search engine for finding resources. Use it or your other favorite engines to expand the lists below.
Try the URLs listed below for a sampling of interesting and informative
Web sites which may prove useful to your research.
| Selected Film Studies Websites |
NOTE: These sites are accessible either by clicking on the link below or linking from the UCI Libraries Film Studies page.
General Cinema Sites:
Cinemedia: the
Internet's Largest Film and Media Directory
Includes section on Research among many others.
Screensite
"ScreenSite emerged from a desire to provide access to
film and television resources through the World Wide Web. Its primary purpose
is to facilitate the study of film/TV. As opposed to some Web sites that
take more of a fan's approach to the media, ScreenSite stresses the teaching
and research of film and television and is designed for educators and students."
Includes a section on Bibliographies
and Research Guides.
TV Link: Film and Television Website Archive
Women
in Cinema: A Reference Guide 1994.
Quite dated, but still provides some useful information.
Film History:
Film 100: The one hundred most influential people in the history of the movies.
Media History Project
University of Minnesota
Library of Congress: American Memory Collections: Original Format: Motion Pictures
National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (Britain)
More Specific Topics, A Few Sample Sites:
Anna May Wong: Frosted Yellow Willows
George Cukor (Classic Film and Television homepage; Michael E. Gros "a film enthusiast who lives near Detroit, Michigan, USA")
Notes on the Adaptation of the Book Orlando By Sally Potter
611 Ravenswood: The Cybersuite of the Legendary Mae West
StarPages
Search for stars by last name, e.g., Wong, Anna May
Unsung Divas of the Silent
Screen
"This site is intended to serve as a gathering place
for information on some of more underappreciated silent film stars--the
"emotional actresses," as they were called in the trade, those who who
specialized in drama..."
| 9. Selected Primary Sources and Special Collections and Archives |
Primary sources for Film Studies include pamphlets, letters, speeches,
screenplays, and films themselves among many other formats.
Below is a brief sampling of some primary sources available in the
UCI Libraries; check ANTPAC for full bibliographic citations and information
to these and for other possibilities.
| Selected Microform Sets: 1st floor, Main Library (ask for assistance at the Reference Desk) |
Libraries often collect materials, especially primary sources, in microform. Most microform sets also have companion guides or indexes which allow you to identify relevant topics and go directly to the corresponding microfilm/fiche section.
Search tip: Keyword or subject search and limit to Location: Main Microforms
Note: There are also many guides in the UCI Libraries collection to microform collections housed at other libraries and available through interlibrary loan.
History of the Cinema 1895-1940. 3,900 microfiche.
Alexandria, VA : Chadwyck-Healey, 1987. Microfiche M 000227
Includes 1,253 books and pamphlets on the cinema, published
1895-1940 in English and European languages, reproduced on microfiche.
| Selected Videos: Located in the Multimedia Resource Center, first floor, Main Library |
Search tip: Keyword search and limit to Location: Main Media Ctr; many more are available.
America's First Women Filmmakers : Alice Guy-Blaché and Lois
Weber. Producer, Scott Simmon. [Washington, D.C.]: Library of Congress,
c1993
MRC PN1997 .A44753 1993
This videotape collects four complete works from the
silent era's two most successful women directors. Lois Weber's brief 1913
comedy examines how men propose. Alice Guy-Blaché's short comedies
(released in 1913) examine marraige and divorce. Weber's feature length
film, Too wise wives (released in 1921), examines the proper role of wife
among the socially prominent.
The Cinematic Jazz of Julie Dash. Our Film Works ; written
and produced by Yvonne Welbon. New York, NY : Third World Newsreel,
c1992.
MRC PS3554.A823 C56 1992
Afro-American filmmaker, producer, writer and director
Julie Dash talks about her life and work. Included are clips from three
of her films, Daughters of the dust, Illusions, and Diary of an African
Nun.
Hollywood Censored: Movies, Morality & the Production Code.
Produced by WGBH Educational Foundation ; written, produced and directed
by David Espar. [Alexandria, Va.] : Distributed by PBS Video, c2000.
MRC PN1995.62 H6 2000
Film documents the mass appeal of movies, including their
portrayals of sex and violence, that have made them a target of censors
since the early days. In the 1930s, Hollywood studios enforces the Production
Code, a set of guidelines for movie content, to answer growing charges
of immorality. The Code lasted 20 years and still influences moviemaking
today. As feature films continue to cause controversy, the question remains:
do movies reflect--or cause--social behavior.
Oscar Micheaux, Film Pioneer. Nguzo Saba Films ; written
and produced, Carol Munday Lawrence ; directed by Robert N. Zagone.
Norwood, MA : Beacon Films ; Evanston, Il. : AGC/United Learning, 1982.
MRC PN1998.3.M534 O833 1982
Oscar Micheaux is remembered for his work as a pioneer
producer-director whose films offered a positive image and an alternative
for Black people in the 1920s and 1930s. The program is built around the
on-camera reminiscences of two performers who appeared in Micheaux films:
Bee Freeman, dubbed the "Sepia Mae West" and Lorenzo Tucker, the "Black
Valentino."
Slaying the Dragon. Produced by Pacific Productions ; a special
project of Asian Women United in association with KQED ; produced and directed
by Deborah Gee ; for KQED, project director, Pamela Porter. San Francisco,
CA : CrossCurrent Media, NAATA, c1987.
MRC PN1995.9.A78 S583 1987
Describes racial and gender stereotyping of Asian women
in U.S. motion pictures as well as other filmic media. Includes interviews
with actresses and other Asian American women who describe their experiences
of such stereotyping.
| 10. Creating & Managing Bibliographies with Ease and Power: EndNote |
EndNote is a bibliographic management software program used to develop, organize and manipulate bibliographic citations and facilitate the production of bibliographies and the publication process. EndNote allows the user to create a "library" to store and manage citations, similar to a set of index cards but with much more organizational power and flexibility. Additionally, EndNote allows the user to export citations from many (but not yet all) catalogs and databases directly into your "library" bibliography and from your "library" into a word processor. You can thus produce a bibliography or manuscript automatically incorporating citations in a variety of publication styles (e.g., Chicago, APA, or journal-specific).
EndNote has recently been installed in open-access library computer labs including Science Library Interactive Learning Center (ILC) Room 164 and Main Library TEC, Room 228 (open in the evenings).
Highly Recommended: Upcoming Library EndNote Workshops